1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a pressure supplier for measuring a biosignal and a biosignal measurement device employing a pressure supplier, and more particularly, to a pressure supplier that can improve the portability of a biosignal measurement device and enhance user convenience by pressing only a radial artery area via an actuator and an elastic metallic plate, thereby measuring a user's biosignal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ubiquitous-related technology may be applied to a myriad of fields in human life. In particular, Ubiquitous-HealthCare (hereinafter, U-HealthCare) has recently been in the spotlight as a notable technology area due to the “well-being” boom. U-HealthCare refers to Ubiquitous technology which enables anyone to readily receive medical services at any time and at any place by installing medical service-related chips or sensors in various places within the user's home. With U-HealthCare, various types of medical services, such as physical examinations, disease management, emergency care, consultation with a doctor and the like, which are currently performed only in hospitals, may be naturally integrated into our daily lives, and therefore may be accomplished without going to a hospital.
For example, a diabetic may wear a belt having a blood-sugar management system for blood-sugar management. A blood-sugar sensor attached to the belt may check the blood-sugar of the diabetic upon a specified event, and calculate the amount of required insulin corresponding thereto. When the blood-sugar of the diabetic becomes drastically low or high, the belt may provide the blood-sugar information to the diabetic's attending physician via a wireless network, and the attending physician may write out an optimal prescription or take necessary action for the medical emergency.
Also, because many diseases associated with the cardiovascular system are chronic diseases, patients may never completely recover and are therefore required to constantly remain vigilant of their health. Particularly, a person who once suffers from hypertension must take medication for the rest of his/her life. Also, hypertension may cause side effects, such as impotence, urinary incontinence, and the like. Therefore, in the case of diseases associated with the cardiovascular system, such as hypertension, taking prophylaxis before an attack is very important.
To prevent the onset of hypertension, a person is required to measure his/her normal blood pressure or pulse and check whether he/she has hypertension. A diagnostic method of hypertension before the onset of hypertension generally uses a method of measuring blood pressure and pulse and thereby measuring a baroreflex sensitivity, which is an index to indicate the condition of a cardiovascular system. Specifically, a user's susceptibility to cardiovascular system disease may be predicted by regularly measuring blood pressure and then by considering the fluctuation of the blood pressure.
Currently, a variety of portable blood pressure measurement devices have been developed and are used to measure blood pressure. Particularly, a blood pressure measurement device in the form of a wristwatch is widely used due to its portability. As an example, a portable pressure measurement device is constructed from a band-shaped air bag in the form of a wristwatch worn around the wrist. The portable blood pressure measurement device pressurizes the air bag using a mini-pump and measures a changing pulse waveform pattern via a pressure sensor. However, in the portable blood pressure measurement device constructed as above, when pressurizing the air bag, a user may feel strong pressure around the wrist and thus, feel some discomfort. In addition, the portability of the device is reduced due to the air bag.
Also, a blood pressure measurement device using a tonometry instrument is utilized. The blood pressure measurement device is in the form of a wristwatch where a sensor is provided between the muscle and the wrist bone, and measures the blood pressure by supplying a minimal amount of pressure to an artery of the wrist. Here, the pressure to be applied to the wrist may be reduced, but the sensor must be closely attached to the artery by injecting air from the outside. Thus, the user may not readily carry the blood pressure measurement device. Also, since the air bag and the sensor are comparatively large, an external pressure generator is required and thus, portability of the blood pressure measurement device may not be achieved.
Also, when a user presses a sensor and the pressure is transmitted to the radial artery, the radial artery becomes flat. Thus, a portable blood pressure measurement device both analyzing a pulse waveform, which incurs in the above-described situation, and measuring the blood pressure is utilized. It is advantageous in that a user can carry the portable blood pressure measurement device, but it is disadvantageous in that the user has to keep pressing the sensor by hand to generate the pressure. Also, the portable blood pressure measurement device is generally of a large size and thus, the user may not wear the portable blood pressure measurement device around the wrist.
As described above, a blood pressure measurement device according to the conventional art applies pressure around the wrist to measure a blood pressure. Thus, a user may be inconvenienced by having to repeatedly measure blood pressure using the blood pressure measurement device. Also, since the blood pressure measurement device is generally manufactured in a large size, the user may not readily wear the blood pressure measurement device. Accordingly, a portable biosignal measurement device which a user can readily carry at all times to accurately measure a biosignal, such as blood pressure, and the like, has been determined as desirable by the inventors of the present invention.